The Rabbit Hole

I was certain this was going to be like Shame & Regret, i.e. too hipster for me, but I ended up really liking it. The crowd - which was in the dining room; I had the bar to myself - seemed like my kind of people, and the bartenders were very nice. 

I had a Coors Banquet and panko-crusted fried goat cheese balls with wild arugula and a strawberry-rhubarb sauce that I loved. 

This was my 9th bar of the day and, though the CFP National Championship Game was in the 4th quarter, I decided to call it a night. I didn't think I could top this place. 

Tony's Bar

 

I wanted to visit a place called Odyssey Gastropub - it looked cool, with brick walls and a nice list of beers, not to mention a fried chicken sandwich I was planning to eat for dinner. 

And I'm guessing it is cool, because there was literally not a single seat available in the place on a Monday night.

So I went across the street to this pool hall. 

It was okay. 

People were nice and the music was good, but it was a little too rowdy for what I wanted that evening. The beer (Coors Light) was served in a plastic cup, presumably because an actual glass makes a dangerous weapon.

As with the previous bar, I am not the target audience for Tony's, though for completely different reasons. 

Shame & Regret

I'm not going to comment on this place. What would be the point? I am not their target audience. 

Gasoline Alley

This bar was way more fun than the last one. It reminded me of a cleaned-up version of Old Towne Pub. Of all the bars I visited this afternoon/evening, this was the one at which I was most tempted to have a second drink. 

But I did not. 

Because next up was shame. 

And regret. 

Phantom Canyon Brewing Company

Do you - and I'm speaking now to my friends in Pasadena - remember the last days of Gordon Biersch? 

The place that had once been so popular never had more than a half-dozen customers at the end. Many of the food items were no longer available but they hadn't spent the money to print new menus. The beer always tasted a bit off. (Tim was convinced that they did not clean their lines properly.) 

I was thinking of that while at Phantom Canyon. 

The space is attractive, with high ceilings and a beautiful bar. It was easy to imagine that once upon a time, every seat was taken and an army of pretty girls delivered beer to the tables while Broncos games played on every TV with John Elway under center. 

But, on this night in 2026, there was hardly anyone here. Although the TVs were turned to the CFP Championship Game, not a single person was watching.

The service was slow. The beer was fine but for some reason only 80% full. (My guess is that the bartender poured it then wandered off to do something else; when he returned the head had dissipated and instead of topping it off he just shrugged and served it to me,)

The chips and elote dip were mediocre at best. 

I think I would have enjoyed this place in its heyday.

But that was obviously a long time ago.

Colorado Craft Social

 

This place was cool - big windows, plenty of light, a great place to watch a game (I'm guessing).

But the only games on TV were hockey, and I don't enjoy hockey on TV. 

So I had a Silver Bullet and moved on. 

Jack Quinn's Irish Pub & Restaurant

This place has been around since last century, and you can feel it as soon as you walk in. The Brit Pub served a better pint of Guinness, but I vastly preferred this place - especially the snugs, reminding me of the Crown Liquor Saloon in Belfast, perhaps the most beautiful bar in which I have ever set foot. 

Urban Animal Beer Co.

I was not planning to go here; I spotted it while walking back downtown after visiting The Brit Pub. 

So I stopped in and had a kolsch. 

There was not much character but the bartender was very nice and the beer was good. 

I am glad I stopped in but will never return.

(TBH, this was only the second time I have ever spent the night in Colorado Springs; the first was because I attended a minor league baseball game back in 2019. I don't see any scenario in which I will ever again stay overnight here.)